When Teerasak's home in Thailand flooded, his world was turned upside-down. Now, at a World Vision Child-Friendly Space, he and 40 other children have found a place where they can learn, play, talk about their experiences, and simply be kids again.

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Teerasak transforms a blank piece of paper into a colorful canvas. The second-grade student is creating an unusual masterpiece -- drawing an upside-down boat that has three wheels, multi-colored clouds, and a smattering of raindrops. The drawing also shows his house, flipped upside-down, too, standing on its roof.

The drawing reflects exactly the situation Teerasak finds himself in.

This boy is one of the millions of Thais whose life has been flipped upside-down because of the mass flooding that has affected 3.7 million people across Thailand in recent months. He’s out of school as his community recovers, trying to make sense of the damage his family has sustained.

He describes his drawing and points to the boat. “It has three wheels because I want to get away from flood waters as fast as I can when it comes,” he explains.

The recent flooding affected Teerasak’s spirit. “I am stressed because the flood waters have gone into my home. Plants and flowers flowed into my house as the water became strong.”

World Vision was also worried about the psychological impact of the flooding on children. Many lost their homes and countless families faced new pressure after the flooding destroyed their crops just a month before it was ready to be harvested.

To help restore a sense of normalcy to children, World Vision set up Child-Friendly Spaces, where children learn songs, dance, draw pictures, and play games.

“Children have a place to play in the Child-Friendly Space,” says World Vision’s Nannapat Sinwanaram, a Child-Friendly Spaces facilitator for the flooding response. “It provides a recreational place during the day, away from the flooded streets where they used to play. It reduces the risk of harm during the day and is a place where children can learn life skills.”

The center has been a relief for Teerasak and 40 other children attending this center in Sakeo province.

“My father heard from our village official that there will be a gathering for children here, so he sent me in,” Teerasak says. “I went with the other children to see what the fuss is all about. There were no classes in school after the flood so I am free for many days.”

Teerasak, who dreams of being a fisherman one day, says that the center was a place where he could have fun again. “We were able to let me play games and sing songs. I like Gai Yang Thook Pao (grilled chicken song) particularly, as we enjoyed the action as we sing.”

Nannapat adds that he was particularly encouraged to see children establish relationships with each another and with the staff.

“They were able to wake up from a bad nightmare and retain a sense of normal,” Nannapat says.

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Child-Friendly Spaces are an integral part of many of World Vision's disaster relief responses around the world, providing emotional first aid for children through counseling and activities like art and music. When children's normal lives are shattered, feeling safe again is an important step in their recovery: to be in a secure place that they can trust will not be turned upside-down.

In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan last week, World Vision is launching one of its largest relief operations in five decades of ministry in the Philippines. As this response gets underway, Child-Friendly Spaces will help children cope with the emotional impact of the storm and allow them to play in a calm, safe place.

When disaster strikes, World Vision is quick to respond with emergency relief, but our work does not end there. To meet the needs of the youngest survivors, World Vision establishes Child-Friendly Spaces in disaster-affected areas.

These spaces provide a safe environment for children to learn, play, and emotionally recover from traumatic events. A one-time donation of $100 will provide a child with a safe place to play for three months.

Comments

I was wondering if you have any kind of ministry where actual supplies can be donated to these Child-Friendly spaces. I think it's a wonderful idea and we have made cash contributions through our personal account. But I was interested in some way children could give actual items to children in these places.

Hi Maxine, thanks for your question and interest in our Child-Friendly Spaces! We don't have a system in place for items to be donated directly to these programs simply because our staff on the ground know best what each Space needs, and can most efficiently obtain those items through cash donations. I understand the interest in giving specific items, and it is possible to send gifts to a child you sponsor, but in disaster responses we rely on our on-site staff to use donated money to purchase what the children need most at that time. ~Matthew, blog manager

That makes perfect sense in situations like these and of course also time is of the essence. We do send gifts to our sponsored child from time to time. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Thanks for all you do at World Vision.

Hi Patrick! Thanks for your question, and sorry it took me a while to get back to you. There's no one single answer since every CFS is managed a little differently, but sessions tend to last between 2-4 hours each day. ~Matthew, blog manager